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Original poster

To ask about hysterectomies - dreading

33 replies

Hysterectomynext · 05/01/2025 12:32

I’m having a hysterectomy tomorrow. Ovaries and cervix too.
does anyone have experience- I’m sure lots of you lovely ladies have been through this.
will I be able to walk up the stairs when I come back from hospital?

Will I stay in hospital for days? (I have general idea from pre assessment but they say could be one day maybe more)
Will I be able to climb stairs at home? My bedroom is at the top of the house. About 5 flights of stairs. If I can’t get up I’d need to make a bed in the living room but the problem there is no bathroom on ground floor.
i haven’t packed a bag yet. So fearful.
can anyone give me any supportive advice?

I’m having it due to fibroids and polyps and to reduce cancer risk
thank you

OP posts:
Optigan · 06/01/2025 08:26

JoJothegerbil · 06/01/2025 08:12

OP - if you don’t have a necessity to remove your cervix, I would highly hugely recommend you think twice about it. Removing it can severely impact your sexual function, and there’s no way to know if it will until it’s too late and it can’t be reversed.

This hasn't been my experience at all just to counter the above point. My libido has taken a hike, but that's due to surgical menopause and no HRT thanks cancer rather than losing my cervix.

Good luck today OP. Hope it all goes well.

Edited

Agree, it didn't affect me in that way either - this may be something dependent on the individual. I would suggest taking your doctor's guidance on removing/keeping cervix. An obvious benefit of it is not having to worry about cervical cancer, and no more smear tests, though persuading the NHS smear reminder service that I no longer had anything to smear took about three years!

Lovemusic82 · 06/01/2025 08:35

Having my cervix removed hasn’t changed sexual feeling at all, if anything it’s better. The chance of losing feeling is tiny.

FleaDog · 06/01/2025 08:42

I had a hysterectomy last year (late 40s) but left ovaries in.

Went home same day, felt amazing.

Only took paracetamol for 2 nights to take edge off low pain.

I had to be careful not to do too much as it was a good post op recovery and I felt fine, I was in bed day after not because I couldn't move but because dh insisted.

All.ops are different, its not a stealth boast as I am the type pf person who gets very ill with colds, flu etc but for hysterectomy it was a good experience

Anonym00se · 06/01/2025 08:47

Good luck today! Just wanted to say that 3 months ago I felt like my life was over, I had no quality of life. Since I had my hysterectomy I feel better than I’ve ever felt in my adult life. It has been amazing, and I wish I’d done it twenty years ago! I wish you all the best with your recovery.

Threewheeler1 · 06/01/2025 08:53

Good luck OP, keeping fingers crossed for you!
Have just gone on the very long waiting list here for a full abdominal (taken 4 years to get to this stage!) - fibroids everywhere and possibly endo.
Reassuring to read all the posts - hope it all turns out well for you and you feel like a new woman eventually 🙌😁

Goldengirl123 · 06/01/2025 09:09

It was the best thing that ever happened to me. Yes you do have to take it easy for a few weeks after, especially the first couple of weeks. Just take the doctor’s advice and you will be fine. Good luck

mydogisthebest · 06/01/2025 09:09

hartluck · 05/01/2025 21:21

OP - if you don’t have a necessity to remove your cervix, I would highly hugely recommend you think twice about it. Removing it can severely impact your sexual function, and there’s no way to know if it will until it’s too late and it can’t be reversed.

As for the recovery, it depends on your age and your fitness level. I was early 30s and in my peak of CrossFit, so I was in the gym 2 weeks later starting my physiotherapy to recover core strength, which is pretty quick.

I will say that the first couple weeks are really sore. Definitely do NOT try to orgasm before 6 weeks as it will be excruciating (I fucked up there). But overall, it actually wasn’t that bad - just be sure to demand that you’re sent home with adequate pain relief (codeine or tramadol) to last you at least 2 weeks. Paracetamol won’t touch that pain, trust me.

Good luck, you’ll be fine!

Show quote history

I never needed any pain relief at all, not even the day after surgery. Every one is different.

justworking · 07/01/2025 06:03

Hope it all went well OP!

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